E/2009/27 E/CN.6/2009/15 Report of the Working Group on Communications concerning the Status of Women 8. At its 14th meeting (closed), on 11 March, the Commission considered the report of the Working Group on Communications concerning the Status of Women (E/CN.6/2009/CRP.3). 9. At the same meeting, the Commission decided to take note of the report and include it in the report of the Commission. The report of the Working Group read as follows: 1. The Working Group on Communications on the Status of Women met in closed meetings before the fifty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women in accordance with Economic and Social Council decision 2002/235 and was guided in its deliberations by the mandate given to it by the Council in its resolution 76 (V), as amended by the Council in its resolutions 304 I (XI), 1983/27 and 1992/19. 2. The Working Group considered the list of confidential communications and replies by Governments (E/CN.6/2009/SW/COMM.LIST/43/R and Add.1). There was no list of non-confidential communications concerning the status of women, as no such communications had been received by the SecretaryGeneral. 3. The Working Group considered the 21 confidential communications received directly by the Division for the Advancement of Women. The Working Group noted that no confidential communications concerning the status of women had been received from other United Nations bodies or the specialized agencies. 4. The Working Group noted that there were replies from Governments to 9 of the 21 communications received by the Division for the Advancement of Women, and a reply from a Government to a communication concerning the status of women that had been included in document E/CN.6/2008/SW/ COMM.LIST/42/R from the previous year. 5. The Working Group recalled its mandate as defined in paragraph 4 of Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/27, which had stated that the Working Group should perform the following functions: (a) Consideration of all communications, including the replies of Governments thereon, if any, with a view to bringing to the attention of the Commission those communications, including the replies of Governments, that appeared to reveal a consistent pattern of reliably attested injustice and discriminatory practices against women; (b) Preparation of a report, based on its analysis of the confidential and non-confidential communications, which would indicate the categories in which communications were most frequently submitted to the Commission. 6. The Working Group discerned the following categories in which communications had most frequently been submitted to the Commission: (a) Sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, against women and girls, committed by private individuals, detainees and law enforcement personnel, including in detention-related situations, and links between sexual 42 09-28398